Electrical connectors having short-circuit bridges are known from DE 8531 990, or DE 199 47 042. A device such as a sensor or an actuator, for example, is connected via such an connector to a unit that supplies current or signals. It is important that the contacts located on the side of the connected unit be electrically short-circuited before the connector is plugged in, to which end the known short-circuit clips or bridges are used. The short-circuit bridge thus ensures that the contacts both at the same potential, and interference or noise voltages do not result in an unintended function, in particular a safety-critical function of the connected unit. Such a safety-critical situation occurs, for example, when an ignition unit (pyrotechnic generator) is connected to the electrical connector via a cable before the electrical connector is connected via a second connector to the deployment unit (control unit). This frequently happens when, for example, the pyrotechnic unit is prefabricated by a supplier for the vehicle manufacturer, and the pyrotechnic unit is not installed and electrically contacted until the vehicle is assembled. Up until that time it must be ensured that interference or noise voltages, which are somehow applied to the contacts for the electrical connector for the pyrotechnic unit or else act on the pyrotechnic unit as a whole, do not result in malfunction (in particular ignition of the gas generator), since this is a safety-critical situation.
From this standpoint the short-circuit bridge known from the prior art fulfills its principal function, but has disadvantages in its design that result in adverse electrical effects. Thus, the short-circuit bridge from DE 8531 990, may be fixed in the plug part using a very complicated procedure that results in increased assembly costs. The contact surfaces of the short-circuit bridge, which in this embodiment rest against the contacts, are the punched edge, resulting in non-uniform line contact that lacks satisfactory electrical properties. In addition, the actuating ends of the short-circuit bridge that are decoupled from the contact surface shorten the contact overlap between the contact (contact pin) for the plug and the contact (contact socket) for the second connector during the plug-in process, and therefore require, for example, longer contact pins on the plug side. To enable the regions of the short-circuit bridge resting against the contacts for the plug part to be raised when the plug and second connector are connected, abutments that project in the region of the second connector are necessary, which entail the risk of breaking off. Since the abutments are broken off specifically on the end face of the second connector, which can easily happen when the plug and second connector are connected together, the contact surfaces of the short-circuit bridge do not lift off the contact pins, resulting in constant short-circuiting of the entire electrical connection and impairment or even failure of the functioning of the overall system. In particular for safety-critical systems this has serious disadvantages for use in vehicles when, for example, the function of an air bag or a seat belt tensioner fails if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
Further connectors of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,906,203, and 5,277,608,, US patent publication 2004/0229487,, German utility model 295 09 313, and German published application 199 05 043. These systems are all relatively complex and are prone to damage in the uncoupled condition. A further disadvantage of these systems is that the shorting clip is frequently disconnected as the connector is being coupled up, before a good connection is formed so that for a brief instant there is a distinct possibility of an electrostatic charge or spurious current getting through the connector.